Original subtitles

Please don't try anything

you are about to see at home.

We're what you call experts.

Narrator: On this episode of

"mythbusters"...

Usually you fill potholes.

I'm digging them.

What are you going to do?

Narrator: Adam and Jamie

get punctures on purpose...

I have always wanted to do

that.

Narrator: As they test

mythical ways of fixing a flat.

I thought with a flat in

the wild, we'd be grasping at

straws.

Narrator: From

mother nature...

[ Grunting ]

Narrator: To the urban

sprawl...

Yeah, baby.

Narrator: Can you really

improvise your way out of a jam?

Cast-iron manhole-cover

wheel.

Go!

Narrator: Meanwhile, kari,

Grant, and Tory reel in a fishy

fable...

Oh, oh!

Narrator: As they test

this viral video.

[ Fishing line whirring ]

If you catch a fast-enough

fish...

All right, kari, you're

hooked.

Narrator: Can it ever set

your reel aflame?

It's getting too hot to hold!

312!

Narrator: Who are the

mythbusters?

Adam savage...

Three, two, one.

Aah!

Narrator: And

Jamie hyneman.

We're just going to have

to crash it to find out.

Narrator: Between them more

than 30 years of special-effects

experience.

Joining them...

Tory belleci.

Time to go diving.

Narrator: Grant imahara.

.44-Magnum big.

Narrator: And kari Byron.

Ohh!

Narrator: They don't just

tell the myths...

They put them to the test.

Captions by vitac... www.Vitac.Com

all right, Jamie, I'm going

to paint you a picture.

You've driven out to the middle

of nowhere to go backwoods

camping.

You've hiked out into the

wilderness, and at the end of

the weekend, you hike back to

your car to find, oh, you got

a flat tire.

What do you do?

I put on a spare.

You don't have a spare.

I call a tow truck.

Nope, no cellphone

reception.

I walk out.

Nope, walking is not an

option.

You have to somehow make that

flat tire into a workable wheel.

What do you do?

I improvise.

Exactly.

That's what this story's

about... improvised solutions

to making a flat tire into

a workable wheel in the

wilderness.

Narrator: Under normal

circumstances, fixing a flat

is simple.

Unpack the Jack, prepare the

spare, and you're good to go.

[ Chimpanzee screeching ]

But if you're in the middle of

nowhere, and the spare's not

there, can you improvise your

way out?

Can mother nature really come

to the rescue?

Or will this myth hit the hay?

So, what's the plan?

Well, we got a whole bunch

of suggestions from the fan site

for things people claim to have

tried that got them out of jams.

I think we should choose the

three best to test.

Well, let's say we go to the

great outdoors and set up a

course, then.

A course that would include

all the different obstacles one

might encounter trying to get

themselves out of a jam.

Exactly.

Narrator: So to put this tire

trilogy to the test, the team

heads for the hills.

[ Tires screech ]

In order to run our tire

fixers through their paces,

we've chosen a course in this

off-road facility that will give

us the widest range of standard

road hazards you might encounter

in just this kind of setting.

Narrator: And that setting

isn't the only thing they've

settled on.

This is our test car.

It is an average, ordinary,

everyday sedan, and that's

the point.

This story is about an ordinary

car out for an ordinary drive

when things go sour and an

extraordinary solution is

required.

Narrator: With the car sorted

and a two-mile lap lined up,

things are looking good.

Ho ho!

Narrator: So all they need

now is to acquire a flat tire.

[ Air hissing ]

I have always wanted to do

that.

What are we going to do?!

We got a flat tire!

Here's the drill.

You're out in nature miles from

the road with a flat tire and no

spare.

Pop quiz, hotshot... what do you

do?

What you do is improvise.

And so that's what we're going

to do.

We're going to make our

equivalent of a run flat tire

out of stuff at hand like

vegetation or [Grunts] straw.

Narrator: Yep, you heard

right.

Fan-fix number one involves

first removing the wheel...

I just happen to have

a lovely garage Jack.

Narrator: Then stuffing

the cut-open tire with straw...

Now, that's what I'm

thinking.

Well, let's just see how far

we get with that.

Narrator: Before

delivering a collection of bad

puns.

I thought with a flat in the

wild, we'd be grasping at

straws, but this is giving me

high hopes.

Well, hey, if it works.

Narrator: With mark twain

turning in his grave, the guys

reattach the wheel...

[ Air hisses ]

Hey, that's not bad.

Narrator: Before stuffing

in more straw until the tire is

literally fit to burst.

Well, that's the last straw.

Now it's time for our

straw-filled tire test.

How do i think it's going to go?

Well, I'm positive that having

straw in this tire is going to

be better than if we just had

a normal flat tire.

How long it actually lasts and

whether the straw stays in there

is the only worry that i have,

and the only way to find that

out is to test it.

Narrator: Sensibly, Jamie

starts slow.

How does it feel?

It feels a little spongy,

but...

[ Laughs ]

seems like it's working.

Narrator: But once they

survive the speed bump...

It bottomed out there.

Narrator: And the

pothole...

Oh!

Oh!

Well, that went fine, too.

Totally fine.

Narrator: He's confident

enough to speed up.

Through the puddle.

Narrator: And by the time

he's halfway 'round, you might

say he's making hay while the

sun shines.

Definitely a very reasonable

escape plan so far.

Let's go uphill.

Narrator: Amazingly, the

straw tire stands up to whatever

stands in its way.

No problem.

We can make it home.

Narrator: At least until

Jamie tries to end with a bang.

Very, very well done.

[ Chuckles ]

Whoa.

It looks a little different.

[ Laughs ]

I had high hopes for the hay,

and my hopes were not misplaced.

It performed fantastically.

It went through the obstacle

course pretty much without a

hitch.

You could feel it deteriorating.

My feeling is, you're using

this to get out of a jam, hay

in this case would absolutely

get you out of this jam.

[ Laughs ]

Very nicely done.

[ Laughs ]

Well, as a fix, I'm calling

hay plausible.

Yeah.

Only a short-term one, though.

Agreed. What's next?

Well, i think nature may have

some more surprises in store for

us.

Narrator: Next up...

Something fishy.

All right, so this next myth

is an old fishing myth, and it's

not about the big one that got

away.

This one is about flaming reels.

Okay, flaming reels.

You're gonna have to give me

more than that.

All right, now, as any

fisherman knows, once the fish

is on the line, all it wants

to do is get away.

Meaning it takes off in

the opposite direction.

Exactly, and as it's taking

off, it is pulling a lot of line

off that reel.

Okay, i see where you're

going with this.

The line's coming off fast

enough, it generates friction,

which creates heat.

And if you generate enough

heat, it could burst into flame,

hence the name flaming reel.

And that's the myth.

Can a fish cause a reel to catch

on fire?

Narrator: And it's a myth

that's perfectly portrayed in

this viral video.

When the hooked fish flees,

the friction on the spool causes

the reel to first smoke and then

catch fire.

But is this really real?

All right, so i got to say

right off the bat, the physics

of this myth add up.

I mean, a spinning reel will

experience friction, and that

will generate heat.

But to generate enough heat

to actually combust, we're

talking about a pretty big fish.

Well, we do have big fish in

our bay.

I mean, we have sturgeon, we

have shark.

Maybe we charter a boat and see

if we get lucky.

Yeah, who knows?

We could catch a giant monster

fish that would fight the line

and confirm the myth.

All right, let's hit the

high seas.

Don't forget to pack your

seasick pills.

Oh, i won't.

Narrator: And your alarm

clock...

[ Alarm clock rings ]

because this is a myth that

starts early.

You guys ready to catch a

fish?

There's our boat.

You bet.

[ Gull screeches ]

To put the flaming reel myth

to the test, we got up at the

crack of dawn and strolled down

fisherman wharf to get onto this

boat.

Wacky jacky, the saltiest sailor

i have ever met, is gonna take

us out sportfishing so that we

can see if we can catch a reel

on fire.

Now, this whole myth is to

see whether or not you can

create enough friction on your

reel that it gets so hot that

it actually bursts into flames.

And that's why we're out here on

the bay to see if we can catch

a big fish and make that happen.

Narrator: A strong, fast fish

like a sturgeon or a shark could

easily create friction to heat

up the reel.

Catch me a big one!

Narrator: But will it be

enough to set it on fire?

Oh, oh!

I got...

I got nothing.

Narrator: Well, so far

nothing's taking the bait

to find out.

Is fishing always this much

fun?

Narrator: After eight hours

without a single bite, the team

decides to head on home.

So, how do we test this myth

if we can't catch any fish?

I don't know.

I mean, we've been out here all

day, and all we have to show for

it is bait.

Yeah, apparently we are

terrible fishermen.

So you want to go back to the

shop and figure out a way to do

this without actually fishing?

That sounds like a great

idea.

Narrator: Later...

Tory catches the one that got

away.

That is a fast fish!

We got ourselves a big one!

Narrator: But next...

Will there be tire-fix trouble?

Jamie's baby carriage had

wheels just like this.

Narrator: Since its creation

thousands of years ago, the

wheel has never really been

improved.

Until now...

As Adam and Jamie reinvent it,

testing mythical methods for

fixing a flat.

And with hay a success, what's

next?

Next up, we're branching out

to other solutions for a flat

tire.

Narrator: Yep, next up

is surely a

clutching-at-straws-type

solution...

Uh-huh.

I will try not to hurt you.

That's a lovely little ski

there.

Narrator: A branch forced

under and then tied to the flat

tire.

It's not pretty, but fans have

said that this really works.

If you want to move something

heavy across the ground, you got

a couple of basic choices,

really.

You can do it with a wheel

or you can do it with a sled.

And what we've got here is a

makeshift sled built out of

a tree branch and some rope.

It ought to work.

At least for a while.

Narrator: But will it last

for a full lap of their course?

Go!

[ Engine revs ]

[ Grunts ]

[ Engine revs ]

Narrator: Well, to say it's

a slow start would be an

understatement.

[ Engine revs ]

[ Grunting ]

Narrator: Eventually Jamie

does get a grip.

Yes! Yes!

Narrator: But they're

certainly not out of the woods

yet.

All right, here we go.

We're on the road.

Oh, don't slow down for

anything!

[ Chuckles ]

Narrator: After slipping and

sliding their way through the

first 200 yards of their lap...

The control is a little

rough, huh?

Yeah.

Narrator: They meet the

first major obstacle...

The speed bump...

Go, go, go!

Narrator: Which causes

their car to come to a

standstill.

Come on!

Oh, the log came out.

No!

Yeah.

[ Laughs ]

Ah, there's your problem.

It came out?

Oh, it came out.

Yeah.

It abraded through all of the

tie ropes up there close to the

wheel.

That was pretty interesting,

though, going down the road

sideways.

[ Both laugh ]

This track here pretty much

tells the whole story.

You can see the log's still in

place, and then it hits this

bump.

It sort of digs in and gets

yanked out of place.

And from here on in, it's pretty

much just momentum.

Narrator: With the branch

busted literally and

metaphorically, it's on to

the final forest fix.

You may see a couple of logs

here.

I see a tire.

Narrator: Once Jamie's got

the good wood, his next job is

to make it as circular as he

can...

Looks pretty round to me.

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: Before the guys

jump-cut their way through the

rest of their final

improvisation technique.

Wow.

That is, without a doubt, the

ugliest tire change I've ever

seen.

If you saw somebody doing

this on the side of the road...

You'd be like, "can i help

you in any way?"

No, i think I'd just leave...

Quickly.

Will it work?

I don't think I'd want to go

very fast on this particular

wheel, but it seems like it's

pretty solid.

I think it's going to be the

best one yet.

Narrator: Well, there's only

one way to find out.

[ Engine turns over ]

Roll along, little wheel.

It's working good.

Narrator: Remember, it's only

the wheel that they've tinkered

with.

The suspension, brakes, and

steering are all completely

untouched.

Okay, here we go.

Speed bump.

Narrator: So, will the log

help or hinder?

Oh, yeah! It made it!

Ha ha ha!

That did fine.

Oh, it did totally perfectly.

Narrator: It's certainly

a case of so far, so good.

But how will the potholes fare?

I'm nervous about the

pothole.

Back wheel!

Back wheel's good!

Not a problem.

Not a problem.

Narrator: With both the

potholes and the puddles

passed...

Oh, yeah!

No problem!

Narrator: It's not long

before the mythbusters come full

circle.

Hey, hey!

It's beautiful!

Well, with our first prototype

fully tested, the "mythbusters"

tire company is ready to open

its doors for business.

This little baby worked

magnificently on our course.

It was, in fact, the best of all

impromptu solutions that we have

yet tried.

So, log wheel?

Totally confirmed.

Yep. Let's go.

All right.

Narrator: As the guys head on

home, the fixing-a-flat myth is

far from finished.

Ho ho ho ho!

Narrator: Later...

Adam and Jamie hit the town for

more fabled fixes.

Whoo-hoo-hoo.

Check out your dubs, homey.

Narrator: But next...

All right, we're at maximum

speed.

Narrator: The guys focus

on the friction factors.

Getting red-hot.

It's starting to smoke!

It's smoking!

Narrator: Can a superfast

fish ever set a fishing reel

ablaze?

[ Fishing line whirring ]

Well, not if the mythbusters are

anything to go by.

Is fishing always this much

fun?

So, based on our fishing

trip, i think the only realistic

way to actually test this myth

is if we build a fake fish.

Well, this is just about a

spinning reel creating enough

heat to catch on fire.

I mean, we don't technically

need a real fish.

I mean, we just need a fish

substitute that will pull the

line off quick enough.

Okay, how about this?

We get a go-cart.

If we're going to give this a

good chance to work, we should

use something really fast.

You know, the sailfish goes

about 70 miles an hour.

It's the fastest fish, and a

go-cart could totally handle

that speed.

All right, I'm all-in except

for one exception.

If we're going straight to the

extreme scenario, why don't we

load our other bases, too?

Let's find the best reel/line

combination that will generate

the most amount of heat, and

we'll use that for our go-cart

test.

Agreed.

So, it looks like we're starting

out with some bench tests in the

shop.

Awesome.

Narrator: So, with real fish

proving too unreliable, the

"mythbusters" are going to build

their own.

But, first, they're focusing on

the friction factors.

We're going to start out by

testing the line.

Now, for this experiment, the

reel, the washers, and the lube

will all remain the same.

The only thing that's gonna

change is the line, and the

lines that we're gonna be

testing are monofilament,

dacron, steel cable, and braided

solid spectra.

Narrator: Whichever line

generates the highest heat is

the one they'll use for their

full-scale test.

So this machine will be

simulating the fish at the end

of the line.

I'll bring it up to speed using

the foot pedal and guide it

onto the reel.

And Tory will apply drag,

and kari will see how much

temperature we actually get.

All right, let's begin with

the 80-pound monofilament test.

Okay.

Wait. Hold on.

We're missing one thing.

[ Laughs ]

Just in case this myth is

true, we've just got to be

prepared.

All right, let's do it.

Narrator: With the safety

set, the guys pull the 400 yards

of line at 20 miles an hour...

All right, we're at maximum

speed.

Narrator: Before Tory

engages the drag, a kind of

braking system...

All right, go into full drag.

Narrator: Which will take

the friction up to the Max.

Stop.

Okay.

We're at the end of our line.

All right, what do you got,

Byron?

[ Laughs ]

Look, that thing's glowing.

Looks like we are maxing out

at 105 degrees.

Narrator: So the good news is

that the friction did heat up

the reel, but the bad news is

it's nowhere near enough for

a flame.

Can dacron do any better?

[ Bell dings ]

Crank her up.

To maximum drag.

Here we go.

Okay, we're at maximum speed.

Oh, you can see the heat as

it spools.

Look at that.

Wow.

Narrator: Well, in a word,

no.

Because neither it...

We peaked at 112.

Narrator: Nor the next

fine line, the steel...

All right, throw it into

drag.

Narrator: Are close to

setting the world on fire...

118 degrees.

Narrator: Which doesn't

bode well.

The final fishing line is 500

yards of spectra.

We're at full speed.

We are in full drag.

Narrator: Having a very

narrow diameter means more line

can fit on the reel, which

should mean more heat.

I don't see any smoke.

Definitely no fire.

Stop.

That's the end of the line.

What do you got?

158 degrees.

I think we have a winner.

That's pretty hot.

Narrator: Peaking at an

impressive 158, it's this last

line that will be their weapon

of choice.

But the line's not the only

thing in this lineup.

Now, the type of reel that

we've been using so far is a

modern lever drag.

What we're moving on to is an

older type of reel called a star

drag.

Now, the reason we think that

this might burst into flames is

this... the drag, all of the

plates and washers are

encapsulated in this tiny metal

cylinder.

So there's no heat sync to draw

the heat away.

It's gonna build up inside of

here, and we just might see some

flames.

Narrator: That's the

theory...

Wind her up.

Narrator: A theory that

their first new reel...

Okay, we're at maximum speed.

Narrator: A star drag 4/0

rapidly proves in practice.

171, 172, 173, 174.

The star drag is hot.

175.

Stop.

Oh, you guys, we got all the

way to 182.

Narrator: It's a good start

in this reel ordeal, but can

the 4/0's big brother beat that

benchmark?

Drag is on pretty tight.

Get the net ready.

We got a big one.

Narrator: At just 20 miles an

hour, the star drag rapidly

reaches 180 degrees before this

happens.

Getting red-hot.

Oh, it started to smoke!

It's smoking!

Oh, my god!

Keep going!

We got smoke!

Wow.

187.

Yeah!

Hey, get the fire

extinguisher ready.

223.

That is incredible.

230.

All right, put more...

whoa!

Whoo-hoo!

Too much drag.

You guys, we got this up to

245 degrees.

So we've completed our reel

comparison, and this is the

winner.

The limiting factor, though, in

our tests was the amount of

speed that we could get pulling

the line off and the amount of

line we had.

Now what we've got to do is find

some way to get more line off

this spool a lot faster.

Narrator: And to do that,

take one marlin...

[ Ding! ]

mounted on a go-cart...

[ Imitating engine

[ accelerating ]

Narrator: And head out

to Alameda...

All right, first mate.

You ready for your fishing trip?

This could be the best trip

ever.

Narrator: For extreme

fishing "mythbusters" style.

Coming up on "mythbusters"...

We answer the question if you

ended up with one of these...

Could you replace it [Grunts]

With one of these?

Do not try what you're about

to see at home.

We're what you call experts.

[ Air whooshes ]

Narrator: In "fixing a flat,"

Adam and Jamie just hit

pay dirt.

Don't slow down for anything!

Narrator: And that's got them

thinking.

Dude, i don't think we're

done fixing flats.

What do you have in mind?

I would like to redo this

test but in an urban

environment.

Go on.

Well, imagine you're in

a city and you've got a flat

tire, calling a mechanic is

totally not an option.

But around you, you've got all

the things you might find in a

city,... metal, glass, and

wood... and you've got to use

those to improvise a working

wheel.

I like it. Let's set it up.

Okay.

Narrator: Well, at a rainy

runway, it's time to find out.

[ Both laugh ]

Look at that!

Our backwoods solution lasted

all the way to the city.

Well, now it's time for some

urban solutions.

Absolutely.

While you may see a lovely view

of San Francisco behind me

through the fog, an empty

runway, and 100 or so cones,

i see an urban obstacle course

and potentia.

Narrator: Adam and Jamie

will each focus on their own

urban fix.

But, first, they need to conjure

up a cityscape crash course.

And with everything set, the

urban fixing can commence,

starting with Jamie.

Technically, there's nothing

stopping you from rolling on a

flat tire, other than, sooner or

later, you're gonna cut through

it and you'll end up on

the steel rim.

So i figure, let's just try

rolling on the steel rim.

Narrator: It's a typically

simple solution from the hyneman

that begins with him removing

their logjam...

Whoa!

Well, that worked pretty

well, sort of.

Narrator: And ends with

him first wrenching a tire from

its rim and then attaching that

rim to the wheelbase.

Job done...

In theory.

As far as riding on a steel

rim is concerned, we've got a

couple of things to be concerned

about, and the first is balance.

This steel rim is a lot smaller

than a normal tire, and so it

makes the car kind of lopsided.

The other thing is that the

steel is not gonna grip the road

as well as a rubber tire will,

and so we've got traction

issues.

Whether either of these things

turn out to be a problem, as far

as handling, that's what we're

gonna run the course to

find out.

Steel rim, no tire.

In three... Two... One.

All right, let's go.

Oh.

Narrator: As per Jamie's

prediction, the terrible

traction makes for a slow start.

Oh.

Feel that acceleration.

Narrator: Which means

reaching the required speed...

Come on, you got to get to

40 miles an hour.

Narrator: Before braking

ahead of the wall...

Come on, almost there!

Narrator: Is seriously

challenging.

Stop, stop!

Aah!

Nice!

All right, right turn.

Narrator: But having not hit

the wall...

Into the slalom.

Narrator: Jamie scrapes

towards the slalom...

You can do it faster than

that.

Faster!

Yeah!

Narrator: Where, despite

trying to stay on track, he soon

gets into a spin.

[ Laughs ]

Whoo, whoo!

Oh, yes! Yes!

Ohh!

Whoo!

Narrator: But after a quick

recovery, all that's left is the

parallel park...

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: Where slow and

steady...

You park like my grandmother.

[ Chuckles ]

Narrator: Puts Jamie's

rim back on the road to success.

Nice.

Handling on the steel rim

turned out to be not half bad.

You just can't accelerate

very fast.

But i reckon you can go a fair

distance on it.

Well, somewhere there's

probably a law against leaving

massive scratches in the road.

But as far as getting yourself

out of a jam, I'm thinking that

the steel rim worked pretty

great.

I'd totally go with it.

Narrator: With Jamie's rim

firing on nearly all cylinders,

can Adam's mythical fix do

any better?

It's round, it's metal.

I think it's perfect.

Narrator: Without a mechanic

to call or a genuine spare to

prepare...

It's frickin' heavy.

[ Grunts ]

Narrator: Adam's adamant

that this manhole is the perfect

wheel stand-in.

Look at how well that size

matches.

I have a good feeling about the

manhole cover.

Narrator: Being almost

identical in size to a real

wheel, all Adam has to do is cut

out some bolt holes and then

bolt it on.

But will it be better than

Jamie's rim?

[ Laughs ]

Now, that's tight.

Check out your dubs, homey.

What do you think of that?

I like it.

The manhole cover seems like

it's a perfect fit, but

the problem is, it's only

an inch wide.

Therefore, it's not gonna get

traction.

The other thing is that it's

made out of cast iron, and that

is inherently kind of brittle.

So if this puppy hits some kind

of a rock or a serious bump,

we've got a big problem.

You ready?

I'm ready. Here we go.

Cast-iron manhole-cover wheel

in three... Two... one...

Go!

Narrator: Despite a

fire-and-brimstone start...

Oh, yeah!

You're really losing energy.

Here we go. Come on.

Narrator: It's clear that,

this time, the traction is

actually less tragic as Adam

gets up to speed...

You're going 40.

Narrator: And back...

Oh! [ Laughs ]

Narrator: With relative ease.

Yeah, the slalom.

Oh, yeah. There we go.

Narrator: Because the manhole

is such a good-size fit, the

car's balance is much better...

That actually corners

fairly well.

Yeah, it does, it does.

Narrator: Making its

handling much less of a handful.

That's it.

Come on, baby!

Narrator: And when Adam

messes up the parallel park...

Whoa.

What was that you said about

my parallel parking?

Narrator: It's operator

error...

Whoa!

Sorry.

Narrator: Rather than a

manhole mishap.

Ha! And we're done!

Check out this wheel.

Ha! It's perfect!

I abused the crap out of that

thing, and there's not a thing

wrong with it.

I am really impressed with the

manhole cover.

I expected, the one place I'd

have a problem were with

traction and the fact that it's

cast iron, that it might

actually crack when i was

skidding to the side, like in

the slalom.

Traction was a problem, but this

thing held up to the most abuse

i could throw it into the slalom

and came back for more.

I like the manhole cover.

It's got style, and it worked

great.

I'd say it's plausible.

Plausible it is.

And you know what?

It's given me some ideas.

All right.

Narrator: Next, on

"flaming reel," the world's

fastest fish.

She drives like a maniac.

Narrator: Known as the

cheetah of the sea, the sailfish

has been clocked at an

impressive 68 miles an hour.

And it's speeds like that

that may be able to do this.

Well, at Alameda, the

mythbusters are set to find out.

We're here.

I'll drop the anchor.

[ Clank ]

It's now time to ramp this

myth up.

We were not able to get the

speed that we were looking for

in our small-scale test.

We got smoke!

Wow.

Hey, get the fire

extinguisher ready.

So we have a much faster fish

capable of going up to 68 miles

an hour and we have a much

longer run.

Narrator: With the same

top speed...

And mass as a record-breaking

sailfish, kari's kart is the

perfect fish replacement.

She drives like a maniac.

Narrator: And that means

it's time to go fishing.

So, kari is hooked.

She's gonna take off down the

runway, going 68 miles an hour.

At that point, I'm gonna start

adding drag to the reel.

I don't know if this thing's

gonna catch on fire, but this

fish is going three times as

fast as we did in the shop.

This thing is definitely gonna

smoke.

Narrator: But upping the

speed is not the only change...

All right, kari, you're

hooked.

Are you ready?

Narrator: Because they're

also doubling the length of

the line.

Go for it, kari!

Narrator: Will this be the

perfect storm they need?

[ Engine revs ]

[ Engine sputters ]

Whoa!

[ Horn honks ]

[ Laughs ]

[ Engine revving ]

Okay!

[ Engine revving ]

All right.

All right, 86 degrees.

Look at it go. 130 degrees.

Spewing oil.

160.

187 degrees.

190 degrees.

Over 200!

228!

It's getting too hot to hold!

312!

Narrator: With kari sailing

at 70, the temperature is

soaring.

480!

480 degrees!

White-hot.

500 degrees.

We've got nothing but smoke

pouring off.

530 degrees.

Narrator: The reel's smoking

like a chimney.

Man, that's 530 degrees.

Narrator: But despite her

best efforts, kari reaches the

end of the line before the smoke

turns to fire.

So, next step, we're gonna

add more lube.

Now, this is not as crazy a

scenario as you might think.

Let's look at the components of

the reel.

The spindle is steel.

There are brass gears inside.

The washers are asbestos.

All these things have a fairly

high ignition temperature.

However, the lube that goes

inside...

That's right, get it all

in there.

Has a fairly low ignition

temperature... 200 to 400

degrees fahrenheit.

I think this really increases

our chances of getting ignition,

particularly if we add

a lot of it.

Narrator: So, with a

significant amount of

lubrication...

That's gonna be a slippery

deck of your boat, isn't it?

Narrator: It really is

now or never for this myth.

[ Engine revs ]

80 degrees!

That fish is taking off!

99 degrees.

120 degrees.

It's spewing out oil.

150.

200 degrees.

We're getting smoke from

all over right now.

238!

266!

Come on, get hotter!

300!

Narrator: Like last time, the

temperature of the reel rockets.

That is the most amount of

smoke we have seen on this reel.

Narrator: But even with Tory

spraying oil directly onto the

hottest part, by the time kari's

motored her mile, there's still

no ignition.

Well, we got a lot of smoke

but still no fire.

No fire?

No fire at all, and that was

with a long line, the best reel,

and a lot of lube.

And the fastest fish

we could find.

But you know what?

This myth is totally busted.

We really gave this myth a

chance.

We used the star drag reel,

which generated the most heat.

We let line run out for over

a mile at 68 miles per hour.

And then we put a flammable

lubricant on the reel.

If this isn't gonna cause some

sort of flame, this myth is

busted.

Narrator: Kari's right.

Even with the deck loaded...

It's smoking from all over

right now!

Narrator: There was still

no sign of a simmer.

It's busted.

Narrator: Without doubt,

it's myth busted.

But as the saying goes, there's

plenty more fish in the sea.

Maybe there's an even faster

fish, maybe there's a monster

fish, maybe there's some fish

out there that is beyond what

we know.

And that is what we're going to

do next... find a really,

really, really fast fish.

Welcome back.

Now, all this episode, we have

been looking at innovative ways

to replace one of your tires if

yours goes flat or missing.

And we tried some backward

fixes.

Those worked out pretty good.

That looks good!

Tried a single manhole cover as

a replacement for a tire.

We tried a straight rim as

a replacement.

And they worked pretty good.

But we're nog Tennessee leave

it there.

No, actually, Jamie is

interested in what it's like to

drive in a car on all four rims.

I'm interested in what it's like

to drive in a car that has all

four tires replaced by

manhole covers.

So, get ready for the race-off.

You've heard of shirts vs.

Skins.

Now it's time for the

hole covers vs. The rims.

Narrator: In the one-wheel

deal...

Feel that acceleration.

Narrator: There was

little to separate their two

urban fixes.

That's it.

Come on, baby!

Narrator: So now Jamie

in his original car...

[ Tires screech ]

and Adam in a car of his

own design...

It's done!

[ Tires screech ]

Narrator: Are going

head-to-head in a four-wheel fix

finale.

The goal? To see whose urban

solution is superior.

Shall we change these puppies

out?

Yeah.

You like my paint job?

You know how i love a good

flame pattern.

[ Laughs ]

The plan is simple.

I'm gonna put four steel rims on

my car, Adam is gonna put four

manhole covers on his car, and

we're gonna race.

We'll just see who does better.

Narrator: With a

winner-takes-all course

featuring slaloms, barriers, and

bunting...

Ah, that's a proper speedway.

Narrator: Adam's

confident.

This contest is pretty

simple... the low-rider

vs. The knife rider.

Slicing through the night.

I think the outcome is gonna be

pretty simple, too.

I think i, in the flaming car,

am gonna smoke the hoosier.

Narrator: But Jamie's a man

with a plan.

Just like with rubber tires,

these steel wheels will lose

traction if they break free, so

the key to success here is

gonna be for me to ride the

accelerator so that i don't lose

traction but i actually do

get up speed.

Narrator: Jamie's right.

This track race is all about

traction.

[ Engine revs ]

Okay, rims vs.

Manhole covers.

Narrator: Whoever has more

will take the title.

In three... Two... One.

[ Engines rev ]

Narrator: And right from the

word "go"...

Aw, he's way ahead of me!

Come on!

Narrator: Jamie takes a

commanding lead...

Yeah, baby.

Narrator: While Adam has

just a fraction of the traction.

Oh, no!

Narrator: And although Jamie

doesn't have enough control to

steer clear of the crash

barrier...

He is beating Adam, hands down.

Oh!

Oh!

Well, that didn't go at all

like i expected.

Not only did i get no traction

and couldn't get up to speed,

but, once i did, i had very

little control, careened

right into the water pyramid.

And on the slalom, I'm spinning

360s, 720s.

I have absolutely no traction

with these manhole covers.

No!

No!

As I'm doing this, I'm watching

Jamie serenely, like the turtle

from that cartoon, slow and

steady, making his way

unnervingly around all of the

slalom cones.

And then he goes through the

finish line and insouciantly

turns around and waits for me.

I won!

Watches me spin out and

slowly make my way all the way

to the finish line 19 seconds

later.

Well, Adam said he was gonna

smoke me, but i don't think so.

I actually whupped him.

I also was really surprised

because i thought he had more

traction than i did.

Turns out he didn't.

Narrator: Ain't that the

truth?

The manholes, impeded by their

narrow nature, were next to

useless.

The rims win.

What did we learn?

Well, i think, throughout

this whole episode, we've

learned that a flat tire

does not necessarily

incapacitate you.

Pretty much every last thing we

tried worked to some degree,

albeit slowly.

Just goes to show, a little

ingenuity will take you

a long way.

It sure will.

Let's get out of here.

[ Chuckles ]

All right, this myth is

busted.

We went 70 miles an hour, the

fastest a fish can go, for over

a mile, and all we got was

smoke.

And that was giving it the

best possible chances of it

working.

But I'm still curious.

Can you set a reel on fire by

just spinning it fast enough?

I think it's time we replicate

the results.

Well, you know what

that means.

We need something that goes

faster than any fish ever

recorded.

We need a superfish.

Narrator: So, back at the

runway...

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: It's time for

"mythbusters" extreme fishing,

take two.

So, it's my favorite time of

the myth... where we replicate

the results.

We got our boat, we got our

reel, we got our line, and we

got a really big, fast fish.

[ Engine revs ]

My friends, let me present

this motorcycle sidecar

professional-racing rig,

otherwise known as

sharkus Maximus.

Narrator: With a top speed of

200 miles an hour, this

road-racing sidecar, piloted by

pro driver Mike Jones and his

counterbalancing assistant,

is the real deal.

But upping the speed of the fish

isn't the only switcheroo.

So far, we have exhausted

everything, and we have not been

able to get a reel to catch

on fire, so we decided to switch

to a more flammable lubricant...

Engine-starting fluid.

Now, this proved to be the most

effective back at the shop.

It is basically ether.

It's very flammable, has a low

ignition temperature.

The only problem is, it makes

you dizzy and it evaporates

quickly.

But we're gonna see how this

does on our fishing reel.

Narrator: And with that...

All right, you're all

hooked up.

Narrator: It's time for

this finale to shape up or

ship out.

Ready to go fishing?

I'm ready.

Is the shark ready?

[ Laughs ]

Yeah.

All right, here we go.

Shark's away

in three... Two... One... Go!

[ Engine revs ]

All right, putting the

drag on!

245, 300!

Put it on the drag.

We're up to 470, 500!

600!

700!

Oh, my gosh!

700 degrees.

Whoa! Whoa!

Whoo-hoo!

[ Chuckling ] Oh, man! Wow!

How much?

We got up to 700 degrees

red-hot.

And we broke the line.

[ Chuckling ] We broke

the line.

Whoo!

Narrator: Despite the daring

duo hitting 140 miles an hour,

the reel hitting 700 degrees,

and Tory adding close to a cup

of ether, there was still

no ignition, which leaves just

one thing left to try.

More speed.

And for that, kari's taking

no chances.

[ Laughter ]

Kari, don't you think that's

a little overkill?

Oh, my god. That is hilarious.

You ready?

Okay, I'll spray

the starter fluid.

Let's get our reel on.

In three... Two... One...

Hit it!

[ Engine revs ]

Narrator: Both racer Mike and

his mate and the temperature of

the reel rocket up.

We got ourselves a big one

this time.

95.

100.

Holy crap. He is flying.

200.

I'm on full drag right now.

200!

380!

400!

Narrator: This time, the

shark's speeding at

180 miles an hour.

600!

Narrator: But when the

temperature passes 700...

Whoa!

Oh, this is ridiculous.

Narrator: The line melts

but doesn't ignite.

There is no way this myth is

true, but we need to see this

thing catch on fire.

Narrator: Without doubt, they

got the hottest reel possible.

But that heat within the reel

was still not enough to ignite

their fuel on the line.

So as a last resort, Tory adds

one final ingredient...

A 1,200-degree flame, and...

Aah!

Finally!

Know how long I've been

waiting to see a flaming reel?

Now, this is "mythbusters"

fishing!

Narrator: Finally, there's

fire in the hole, but only

thanks to a naked flame burning

500 degrees hotter than anything

their fish could create.

It wasn't until we introduced

an open flame to the reel

did we ever see a flaming reel.

This one is busted on every

level.

Narrator: In fact,

you might say it's busted

hook, line, and sinker.

I have to say, we tested

this one thoroughly.

Yeah, that was a great

fishing trip.

Shall we set sail for home?

Yeah, let's go, you

motor-boating son of a gun, you.

You old sailor, you.

[ Sighs ]

Think we're out of gas.

So, do you want to know why

we did what we did and

didn't do what we didn't do?

Well go to

discovery. Com/mythbusters/

aftershow for our aftershow and

keep those questions and

comments coming.